NARRATOR: Thirty-five carved oak panels cover the walls of this room. Each panel depicts an episode from the life of the Virgin, or the life and Passion of Christ. It's thought that these panels come from the royal abbey of Jumièges in Normandy, where they formed the backs of the choir stalls. The panels begin with the story of Anna and Joachim, the parents of the Virgin Mary. One panel depicts an angel visiting Joachim to announce the coming of their daughter. Notice the beautifully detailed angel in flight and the fields and animals in the background. Compare this to the panels showing the early years of Mary's life leading up to her betrothal to Joseph. These are more solemn in their depictions. Look for the particularly expressive and dramatic scenes of the Annunciation, Christ's Nativity, and Christ's Baptism. Some more obscure scenes of Christ's public life are also depicted here. For example, to the left of the small doorway, there’s an image of Christ saving the adulterous woman from stoning. These scenes were not often expressed in art, probably because they don’t relate to the church's liturgy. Many of these scenes have the composition and drama of mystery plays, which were popularly staged in France during this period.